Rotary tube end cleaner



Filed Oct. 18, 1963 "0111111454, l "'fi,

INVENTOR.

Ho 55 s,

P/LEY FIG.

FIG. 6.

Griflin, Ga. Filed Get. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,206 -6Clain1s. (Cl.15-179) This invention relates toa novel rotary cleaner for theexteriors of ends of tubes, preparatory to soldering, brazing, andsimilar operations.

The primary Vobject .of the invention is the provision of a moreeicient, faster-working, and longer life device of the kind indicated.Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple andeconomical, electric drill operated device of the character indicatedabove, which involves the use of a circular resilient wire brush whichis readily replaceable when worn, and adjusting means for contractingthe brush, as wear thereof occurs and its bristles shorten, so that thebrush does not require replacement until its bristles are substantiallyused up.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specic form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic perspective View, showing a device ofthe presentinvention chucked in an electric drill, preparatory to application ofthe device to a tube end;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken on the line 2-2 ofFIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a front end elevation of the device;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the wire brush in uncoiled condition;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on the line 66 of FIGURE 5 FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectiontaken on the line 7-7 of FIGURE 6.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device, generallydesignated 10, comprises a hollow rigid cylindrical housing 12 closed,at its rear end, by a back wall 14, and having an open forward end 16.An axial shank 18 is xed to and extends rearwardly from the back wall14, for engagement in the chuck 20 of an electric drill 22, or theequivalent.

The side wall 24 of the housing 12 is formed with opposed enlargements26, midway between its ends, which are formed with radial threaded bores28, which extend also through the side wall 24, and accept wire-brushadjusting screws 30, having rounded inner ends 32.

The inner ends 32 of the screws 30 seat in recesses 34 in a splitresilient compressible sleeve 36, of substantially the same insidelength as the housing 12, and which normally bears against the innersurface of the side wall 24 of the housing, with the free edges 38 ofthe sleeve separated at maximum distance from each other, as shown inFIGURE 4, while the sleeve is under minimal compression. The sleeveedges 38 have inwardly extending anges 39 thereon.

An elongated wire brush 40, which is originally in a fiat rectangularform, as shown in FIGURE 5, comprises a iiexible backing 42, as of clothor other suitable material, from one side of which extend wire bristles44. The brush 40 is substantially as wide as the length of the sleeve36, and has free ends 46, which are separated from each other, when thebrush is coiled and is inserted within the sleeve 36, under compression,so that its backing 42 makes frictional contact with the inner surfaceof the sleeve, which `United States Patent 0 3,188,674 Patented June 15,1965 resists rotation of the brush relative to the sleeve. As shown inFIGURE 4, the ends 46 of the brush 40 are preferably arranged oppositeto the edges 38 of the sleeve, so as to eliminate a gap at thislocation.

As shown in FIGURES 4 to 7, the bristles 44 are provided in units of twoadjacent bristles, which are connected, at their inner ends, by crossmembers 41, the bristles being passed inwardly `through the backing 42,with the cross members engaged with the `outer surface of the backing,crosswise of the backing.

Each bristle 44 is composed of an inner portion 43, which, as shown inFIGURE 7, is angled away from the direction of rotation of the brush40,and an outer portion 45 which is angled toward the direction ofrotation of the brush, as indicated by arrows lin FIGURES 4 and 7. Theengagement of the tips 47 lof the bristles 44, with the work, at aretreating angle, makes for more -consistent and uniform contact withthe work and more eifective cleaning action.

The housing 12 is externally threaded, at its forward end, as indicatedat 48, to receive the threaded ange 50 of a cap 52, which serves as aretainer for the sleeve 36 and the wire brush 40, and also as acentering guide for the end of a tube T to be cleaned. The cap has anannular web 54, formed with an axial opening 56 whose edge serves tocenter a tube T inserted into the brush 40.

In use and operation, the device 10 having been chucked in a drill 22,with either or both the drill and the tube held stationary, the drill isenergized so that the device is is inserted, relative to the tube, andthe brush 40 acts to clean the outer surface of the tube. The length ofthe housing 12, and of the brush 40 can, if desired, be predetermined,so that when the tube is inserted and its end engages the back wall 14of the housing 12, the length of the cleaned are of the tube ispredetermined.

As the brush bristles wear down, the screws 30 are adapted to bethreaded inwardly, so as to compress and contract the sleeve 36, andhence the brush 40, to the degree necessary to reestablish full contactof the bristles 44 with the work.

The brush 40 is quickly and easily replaceable, when worn down, simplyby screwing off the cap 52 and pulling the brush out of the sleeve 36,with the screw 30 backed out, and installing another brush.

Although there has been shown and described a preferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any changes in the structure of and in therelative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as beingwithin the scope of the invention as dened by the claims appendedhereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising a hollow cylindricalhousing having a back wall, a side wall and an open forward end, aresilient split sleeve engaged in the housing, sleeve compressing screwsthreaded through said side wall and engaged with the sleeve, and aresilient tubular split brush engaged in the sleeve and havinglfrictional contact therewith.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said back Wall is formed with an axialrearwardly extending shank for seeurement in the chuck of a rotarymember.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing is eX- ternally threadedto its forward end, and a cap has a threaded flange threaded thereon,said cap having a web formed with an axial opening affording a circularguide edge for a tube inserted through the opening and into the brush.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said brush has a flexible backinghaving wire bristles on its inward side.

5. A device of the character described comprising a 3 1 tubular housinghaving an open and a closed end and a side wall having a cylindricalinner surface, a resilient split sleeve engaged `in the housing, a splittubular brush conformably engaged in the sleeve, said brush comprising aflexible backingfrorn whose inner surfacewire bristles project, saidsleeve andsaid backing having free ends, and inwardly-extending anges onthe lfree ends of thesleeve, the free ends of the backing lbeing engagedwith the 6. A device of the character describedv comprising a ,tubularhousing having anvopen anda closed end and a sidewall having acylindrical;inner surface, a resilient ,splitmsleeve engaged inthe-housing, a split tubular b rush conformably engaged in theY sleeve,said brush comprising flexible backing from whose inner 4surface Wire.bristlesv project, said sleeve and said backing having free ends, andYinwardly-extending flanges o n the ,free ends of 'the sleeve, the freeends of` thebacking being Vengaged Vwith the flanges, and opposedadjustingV screws threaded through Y .the side wall of the housing andengage the exterior of the lsleeve.

in which the inner ends `of the screws are engaged.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 490,682 1/93Roemer.v 602,193 4*/98 Neuert n--- 15-160 753,970V V3/04 l Foster; Y981,417# 1/11 Halsey et al.` 1,600,368 9/26 skogiund 15-160 1,710,12714/29 Vaughny 15-160 X 1,717,554 v 6/29 Fraserf 51-73 `.1,791,603 2/31Rennie f 15-21.1 X 2,179,465 11/39 Blazek 5173.1 X 2,202,215 n 5/40 Lutz15-186 3,088,150 V5/,63V Sweeney 15-184 X Y FOREIGN PATENTS 1,044,3566/53 France.

699,027 11/40 Germany. 87,803 7/ 96 Germany.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Prmry Examiner.

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, COMPRISING A HOLLOW CYLINDRICALHOUSING HAVING A BACK WALL, A SIDE WALL AND AN OPEN FORWARD END, ARESILIENT SPLIT SLEEVE ENGAGED IN THE HOUSING, SLEEVE COMPRESSING SCREWSTHREADED THROUGH SAID SIDE WALL AND ENGAGED WITH THE SLEEVE, AND ARESILIENT TUBULAR SPLIT BRUSH ENGAGED IN THE SLEEVE AND HAVINGFRICTIONAL CONTACT THEREWITH.